In July, Berkeley police officers came under scrutiny, not least by many people writing in Berkeleyside’s comments section, for what was seen by some as a heavy-handed response to an armed suspect who robbed a laundromat in South Berkeley and attacked an older resident near Sacramento Street. The department’s use of an armored vehicle was the focus of the criticism.
In an op-ed published on Berkeleyside, Chris Stines, president of the Berkeley Police Association, says the borrowed vehicle used in the operation had a single purpose: preventing bullets from killing or severely injuring Berkeley residents.
Stines argues that the vehicle, as well as other tools such as search helicopters, a canine unit and drones should be directly available to the Berkeley Police Department. “While well-intentioned, several city council decisions over the past several decades have had the effect of tying the hands of the police in volatile operations, and are overdue for a fresh look,” he writes. “Dogs, helicopters and drones are not intended for everyday policing. But with the potential for harm to the public, we want to have as many resources at our disposal as we can and as quickly as we can.”
What do you think? Read the full op-ed in our Opinionator section, and leave your feedback in the comments there.
Berkeleyside welcomes submissions of op-ed articles. We ask that we are given first refusal to publish. Topics should be Berkeley-related, local authors are preferred, and we don’t publish anonymous pieces. Email submissions, as Word documents or embedded in the email, to editors@berkeleyside.com. The recommended length is 500-800 words. Please include your name and a one-line bio that includes full, relevant disclosures. Berkeleyside will publish op-ed pieces at its discretion.
